1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for evaluating equipment operability for evaluating the operability of equipment, and more specifically to an apparatus and method for evaluating equipment operability for evaluating the operability of equipment by determining the visibility and the readability of the target operation area of an equipment model arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when an equipment layout is verified, for example, a template is arranged in the target operation area of the equipment, and it is determined whether or not the hand of an operator of the equipment can reach the target operation area, or the target operation area can be within the range of the view of the operator of the equipment. The target operation area of equipment refers to the area on the equipment where a part of the equipment to be operated and a part (for example, a flicker (blinking unit), a label and so on) to be visually identified by the operator during the operation of the equipment are set.
However, in verifying the layout of the equipment by determining whether or not the hand of the operator of the equipment reaches the target operation area, or the target operation area can be within the range of the view of the operator of the equipment, the target operation area can be out of the range of the view because there are practically various physiques. Furthermore, when an operation is actually performed, the hand of an operator can hide the displayed target operation area. Although the view is not interfered with, the hand of the operator can hide the target operation area and the operator cannot confirm the target operation area. Additionally, the visibility and the readability of the target operation area can be varied by the size and the brightness of the displayed target operation area.
Under the circumstances, the layout of equipment is verified using a human body model arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space. That is, the layout of the equipment model displayed on the view image is verified by arranging the human body model of a physique and the equipment model in a three-dimensional virtual space, and displaying a view image as an image viewed in the three-dimensional virtual space from the point of view of the human body model. A human body model is a copy of the shape of a human body. An equipment model is a copy of the shape of equipment.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-240791 describes an equipment operability evaluation support apparatus for supporting the evaluation of the operability of equipment by arranging an equipment model taking the shape of equipment to be designed or equipment to be laid out in a simulation space, arranging a human body model with an operation of the equipment anticipated, and operating the human body model in the simulation space.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-167451 describes a measurement system capable of measuring a difference, a position and so on even under a special condition that can interfere with the recognition of an image by preparing a human body model corresponding to the body type data of a person and data of a posture or operation, and regenerating the posture or operation of the person from the data in a virtual space.
To confirm an object that interferes with the operation of equipment or the view of an operator using a human body model arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space, it is necessary to confirm the object by allowing the human body model to take an operating posture.
Conventionally, to allow the human body model in the three-dimensional virtual space to take an operating posture, for example, the calculation of a posture is performed based on the forward kinematics and a predetermined joint angle, and a view image as an image viewed in the three-dimensional virtual space from the point of view of the human body model taking the calculated posture is displayed. However, in this case, each joint angle is set independently for each physique of a human body model, and the operating posture is calculated. That is, when the physique of a human body model is changed, it is necessary to reset each joint angle of a human body model to regenerate the operating posture. That is because the length of each part of each human body model is different for each physique and the joint angle of the human body model taking an operating posture is changed when the physique is changed. Accordingly, if the posture of the human body model is calculated using the data of the joint angle before changing the physique when the physique of a human body model taking an operating posture is conventionally changed, the range of the view of the human body model is shifted, and it is difficult to verify the layout of the equipment.
For example, assume that a human body model 100 and an equipment model 101 are arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space as shown in FIG. 19A. FIG. 19A shows a card slot 102, a range 200 of the view of the human body model 100, and a point P indicating the target position of the right hand of the human body model 100 to be moved. The card slot 102 is a target operation part of the equipment model 101. The equipment model 101 is, for example, a model of an ATM. The human body model 100 takes a posture for performing an operation of, for example, inserting a card, and the right hand of the human body model 100 is in the position of the point P. The card slot 102 is in the range 200 of the view of the human body model 100. In this state, when the physique of the human body model 100 is changed, the right of the human body model 100 is displaced from the point P as shown in FIG. 19B. Additionally, the card slot 102 is displaced from the range 200 of the view of the human body model.
Furthermore, conventionally there has been the problem that the optimum posture of the human body model for an operation cannot be maintained when the layout of equipment is changed.
Additionally, there has conventionally been a well-known technology of calculating a posture corresponding to an operation by associating the posture of a human body model arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space with the target operation part of target equipment. However, this method can only be used for the target equipment. Therefore, it is difficult to verify a layout when another piece of equipment is used in this method.
Furthermore, there has been a well-known function of displaying a view image of a human body model by allowing the human body model to take an operating posture in a three-dimensional virtual space. However, there is the problem with this function that it cannot be determined on the visibility and the readability of the target operation area of an equipment model displayed on the view image.
Conventionally, there also has been the problem that the visibility or the readability for the target operation area of an equipment model in a series of operations required to attain an operation purpose of equipment cannot be determined. For example, as shown in FIG. 20A, the human body model 100 is allowed to take an operating posture of inserting a card into the card slot 102 of the equipment model 101, and then to automatically take a posture of an operating transaction selection part 105 of the equipment model 101 as shown in FIG. 20B. It is hard to determine the visibility and the readability on the target operation area of the equipment model in these series of operations performed by the human body model 100 based on the above-mentioned process.